Lakers News: Kyle Kuzma Confident About Returning Soon From Foot Injury

Kyle Kuzma, the sole notable remnant of the young Los Angeles Lakers core following the Anthony Davis trade, will not be around when training camp opens on account of an injury. However, it seems that there is a possibility that he could be ready by the time the NBA regular season kicks off.

Kuzma, out until mid-October, appeared on ESPN's The Jump and revealed that he is ahead of schedule as far as recovering from the foot injury. As mentioned in a previous post, the 24-year-old suffered during the USA vs. Australia match last month. This denied him the opportunity to be part of Team USA at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

"I'm ahead of schedule, getting back and thirsty to get out there," Kuzma said.

When the Lakers were looking for a third superstar to complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis last month, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors felt that the purple and gold already had that guy on the roster as reported in a previous post. The 29-year-old shooting guard believes Kuzma is perfect for today's game and the only thing missing from the 27th overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft was the ability to catch and shoot.

Last season, Kuzma put up good numbers. He averaged 18.7 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. He was the Lakers' second-leading scorer behind James.

Lacking the big man presence last season, Kuzma may want to consider Thompson's comments and develop the ability to shoot off the dribble. He showed great potential when he played for USA Basketball. Before suffering a foot injury, the 6-foot-9 forward was 4-of-5 from the three-point region.

Despite Kuzma being upbeat on returning to action, it looks like he will have to abide by what Lakers management decides on. He has not been cleared for full practice and is scheduled for another MRI. Aware of the talent Kuzma has, Los Angeles is taking a cautious approach and are unlikely to rush the young promising cager back to action.

With Kuzma's return to active duty a big question mark, first-year head coach Frank Vogel may have to tap on other guys to fill in. LeBron James may have to play the small forward position. If not, Jared Dudley and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope may get the chance to play that position for the meantime.